HeyForm
Open-source conversational form builder for surveys, quizzes, and data collection with a clean, modern UI.
Best for developers and small teams who want a Typeform-like experience without vendor lock-in or per-response pricing.
Use Cases
Free Tier
Free cloud tier with limited submissions, or self-host for unlimited usage
How to Maximize the Free Tier
HeyForm's real value is self-hosting — deploy via Docker on a $5/month VPS and you get unlimited forms and responses with zero per-submission costs. If you use the cloud free tier, keep submissions low by combining multiple question types into single forms instead of splitting across many. The conversational layout reduces abandonment, so you'll get more completions per view than traditional forms. Use webhooks to pipe submissions directly to your own backend or Notion database, bypassing any storage limits. For teams, self-hosting means full GDPR compliance since data never leaves your infrastructure.
Getting Started
Sign up at heyform.net for cloud, or clone from GitHub and deploy via Docker → create a new form → use the drag-and-drop builder with conversational layout → configure notifications and webhooks → share via link or embed.
Pros
- Open source: Self-host for free with unlimited responses — no vendor lock-in, full data control
- Modern UI: Conversational, one-question-at-a-time layout that feels polished and engaging
- Developer-friendly: Webhooks, API access, and Docker deployment make it easy to integrate into existing stacks
Cons
- Cloud free tier: Hosted free plan has limited submissions — self-hosting is where the real value is
- Smaller ecosystem: Fewer integrations and templates compared to established players like Jotform or Typeform
- Self-hosting overhead: Running your own instance requires a server, Docker knowledge, and ongoing maintenance